The invention relates to systems for storing and dispensing labware for an automated laboratory.
"Labware" refers to items used in laboratory environments that can be moved to or from equipment automatically, such as microplates, filterplates, pippette tips, etc. While such labware normally conforms to certain footprint size specifications, there is no uniform or precise form factor for different labware. For example, some labware contain detents and notches so that they can be stacked on top of one another without slipping. Other labware contain ridges and notches on the side designed for engaging a robot, stacker or escapement mechanism of a particular manufacturer.
Due to the lack of a uniform form factor for labware, it is difficult to provide a robotic laboratory system that is able to move labware from different manufacturers. For example, some stackers may be used only with labware from a specific manufacturer.
It is also known to provide a central robot which is partially surrounded by multiple labware hotels, each of which contain shelves into which labware may be inserted or retrieved. While such a system may have the benefit of allowing labware of different sizes and sources to be inserted into the shelves of different hotels, the robot for such a system generally must have three-dimensional motion control, which is costly to implement, both in terms of hardware and control systems software. Moreover, such 3-D robot systems require some mechanism for keeping track of the specific type of labware that is housed in each hotel.